Brush with Darkness
by SlumberingVoid
Summary: The events of the episode "Empire Day", except with Ezra and Jai, of course.
1. Chapter 1

On Lothal, a scattering of settlements dotted the planet but the majority of it was untamed and vast grasslands. One of these settlements was Jhothal, named for its most notable resident, a well-travelled Ithorian affectionately referred to as Old Jho. He'd spent his younger days travelling the galaxy and seeing the sights, but had settled down on Lothal after a time and never left. Now, he ran a repair shop and cantina called Old Jho's Pit Stop, where he provided both quality repair and catering service to passing residents, travelers and strangers. Outside, a C-ROC _Gozanti_-class cruiser lifted off, its blood-red engines thrumming, and headed for orbit, passing over Old Jho's as it went. The small group of people entering the establishment glanced up at it briefly, then kept walking. One of them, however, stopped at the entrance to watch three people on a rise just outside Jhothal. A young woman wearing brightly painted Mandalorian armour and orange streaks in her hair, Sabine Wren cocked her head to one side curiously as she watched them. A tall, gangly man with a goatee and ponytail, Kanan Jarrus, and two boys wearing orange and yellow respectively, Ezra Bridger and Jai Kell. Both of them were Kanan's informal students, and Kanan himself was a Jedi. Sabine knew that the Jedi had a code which dictated, among other things, that only one apprentice may be taught at any one time. However, there were barely any Jedi left to uphold the code, and as far as she was concerned, the more that could be trained the better. Perhaps if the Empire was overthrown and the Jedi returned in force, then the old ways could be reinstated. But for now, it was different. She saw Kanan, as always, patiently trying to explain the nature of the lesson to Ezra. She admired that; Kanan himself had only been a student like Ezra when the Empire came along. Jai stood off to one side, watching curiously and waiting for his turn. Today's lesson was on how one could use the Force to connect with other beings, but Ezra was not very enthusiastic today.

"Look, just throw the damn rock and let's get this over with."

Kanan looked at him, then threw the rock he was holding into the waist-high grass in front of him. A screech of surprise came from it, then something jumped out. It was a Loth-cat, brown and speckled all over with sharp teeth and claws, pointy ears and wide eyes which were even wider. It saw Ezra and arched its back, deeming him the guilty party for disturbing its nap. Ezra simply raised both hands towards it and closed his eyes, trying to send a message through the Force that he was nice and trying to make friends. It wasn't buying it, however.

"I don't think he wants to connect."

"You're resisting. He can sense it."

"He can sense it? What is he, a Padawan cat?"

With a hiss, the Loth-cat suddenly pounced for Ezra's face and the youth fell to the ground desperately trying to fend it off. Jai, now sitting on a rock, laughed at him whilst Kanan arched one eyebrow.

"I don't think you're getting it."

"I get that this furball is trying to kill me!"

He wasn't entirely wrong; he was holding the snarling, spitting Loth-cat at arms length whilst it clawed at his face. Finally managing to fling it away, Ezra got up and held out his hand angrily.

"Give me your lightsaber and I'll make the connection!"

"Excuse me?"

Both Kanan and Jai looked taken-aback at the outburst, and Jai moved to get up. Kanan motioned for him to be still, however, and reached out towards the Loth-cat with his eyes closed.

"What is the point of all this, anyway?"

"The point, my young and impudent Padawan, is that you are not alone. You are connected to every living thing in the universe. But to discover that, you have to let your guard down and be willing to attach to others."

Ezra looked once more at the Loth-cat and was surprised to see it sitting there calmly when seconds before it had been ready to pounce him. It mewled docilely and then rubbed itself against Jai's leg. He picked it up and it licked his face.

"Awwww. Aren't you just the cutest little guy? Can we keep him?"

"I don't think Chopper would be very happy."

Ezra was still huffy, so Jai sent him comforting thought via the special Force bond they shared, telling him it was a bit like theirs. They could sense each other much more keenly because of their attachment, their love and their desire to protect each other. To his surprise, Ezra didn't shift.

"Sweetheart, what's wrong with you today? You're so emotional and huffy."

"Yeah, I've noticed that. What's bothering you, Ezra?"

Ezra sighed and shook his head.

"Today just isn't a good day for me. It never has."

"Today?"

"Empire Day."

Suddenly the Loth-cat, which had been enjoying having its ears scratched, hissed and jumped out of his lap. As it darted back into the grass, their ears caught a familiar howling sound and they immediately started. Sure enough, approaching fast from the west, were a trio of Imperial TIE Fighters. A ball cockpit suspended between two giant hexagonal wings, they were churned out of the Imperial factories on Lothal by the hundreds every day and flew over at least half a dozen times daily. However, there had never been this many out here before.

"What are so many TIEs doing out here?"

"Nothing good! Come on!"

They ran from the hill and towards Old Jho's Pit Stop where the TIEs were setting down outside. The front entrance of the cantina featured the nose and spread wings of an old Republic LAAT gunship used back in the Clone Wars. The clone troopers these gunships ferried had been known for customizing them with humourous or bawdy artworks on the nose and this one was no exception. Painted on it was a stylized image of a Koawkian monkey lizard, an annoying creature from Koawk known for its high-pitched laugh and impish sense of humour, brandishing a missile with the words "Laugh this off!". The TIE pilots who had disembarked from their ships, regarded this with amused contempt before proceeding inside. A few citizens were enjoying a quiet drink and a chat, which became very quiet at the sight of the trio of pilots, their ugly black helmets reminiscent of beetle heads. What made the patrons even more nervous was the fact that they were toting E-11 blaster rifles, standard armament of their ground-based counterparts and which they rarely had the need to carry. In the corner, Ezra's fellow rebels sat in a corner booth trying to look inconspicuous but considering one of their number was a six-foot tall purple-haired Lasat and another was wearing bright pink armour, this was less easy than it looked. The pilots cast their eyes around, then as one moved around and consulted the flimsiplast cards they held. On them was a picture of an odd-looking creature with huge bug-like eyes, a short snout and a small ridge of spikes going over the top of his head; a Rodian. One of them spotted the rebels, and glanced at them for a moment, then moved on to where his fellows had cornered the sole Rodian in the establishment. The unfortunate alien, Tsokolo, was looking wildly around for help or an escape route but neither presented itself. One of the pilots grabbed him roughly and turned him round so as to compare him to the Rodian on his screen. Ezra, who had taken up a discreet seat at the bar, glanced at it and was surprised.

"Tseebo?"

"Hrm? What, did you say something?"

"No, nothing."

But Jai sensed differently. Ezra's mind was spinning and though he couldn't read what it was saying, he got the gist that Ezra knew that Rodian. Meanwhile, the pilots had determined that Tsokolo was not their target and let him go, much to his relief. One of them headed over to the bar, where Old Jho was pouring drinks. As the pilot approached, Jho put a drink down for him but he rudely smacked it aside, the glass flying and shattering against the wall.

"The Imperial HoloNet Broadcast should play here at all times!"

Old Jho looked at him, a bit miffed over the drink he'd just thrown aside. His species, known derisively as leathernecks and hammerheads, had a unique vocal system due to their twin mouths. As such, they could only speak Ithorese but one of them had had the idea to create a machine which they could wear on their back and which translated their language into Galactic Basic Standard, so as much as the old Ithorian might have wanted to tell the pilot where he could stick his broadcast, it would be translated.

"No-one's requested it for, well, ever."

The pilot raised his blaster and caressed the barrel.

"It's the law!"

Shrugging, Jho pressed a button underneath the bar and the holoscreen lit up with blaring music, bright propaganda pictures and endlessly streaming text proclaiming this and that and those. Right now, it was jubilating over Empire Day and a huge picture of the Imperial roundel was displayed. The nasal tones of the newsreader, Alton Kastle, read out to them.

"_Because today is Empire Day, celebrating the fifteenth anniversary of the galaxy's salvation! When your heroic Emperor Palpatine ended the Clone War and established our glorious Empire!_"

Ezra and Kanan gritted their teeth. The Emperor was no hero! Kanan thought of how the Clone War ended for him and his master, like thousands of their fellow Jedi across the galaxy. A few customers turned their mouths up distastefully, but the pilots all leveled their blasters and hoisted mugs.

"You heard the man! Raise your cups, to Emperor-"

Suddenly, the stream of patriotic bile ceased and was replaced by a picture of a handsome man with a daring smile. This was Gall Trayvis, a member of the Imperial Senate who had gone into exile and spoke out publicly, decrying the Imperial regime and encouraging rebellion. It was he who had revealed the information that led them to believe a renowned Jedi Master, Luminara Unduli, was alive and imprisoned. They'd tried to rescue her from a prison on Stygeon Prime, but the information had been a lure for them. They found only Master Unduli's body and the man who murdered her, the Inquisitor. Both of them shivered as they recalled him.

"_Citizens, this is Senator-in-exile Gall Trayvis. I bring more news the Empire doesn't want you to hear. I urge you to boycott all Empire Day celebrations to protest the ongoing injustices of the Imperial regime!_"

More than a few patrons exchanged looks at this, and the pilot quickly turned back to Old Jho.

"Shut this off! Now!"

Jho's face was impassive and massive.

"Can't. It's the law."

The pilot threw his hands up and motioned for his fellows to depart. Once they were gone, Jho shut off the broadcast (which had returned to Kastle's tripe) and turned to greet the three.

"TIE pilots on foot patrol? What's going on?"

"Imperials have locked down the ports and put Destroyers in orbit. It's a full planetary blockade."

Kanan looked over at Tsokolo, who was nervously cradling his drink.

"They're after a Rodian."

Sabine, Zeb, Hera, and Jai's mother, Ursa, joined them.

"Just be glad they're not after us, for once."

"Heh. With what we have planned for today's parade, they'll be after us again by tomorrow!"

Ezra, who had remained completely silent, now stood up.

"Well, you're gonna have to do it without me."

"Hey, where do you think you're going?"

"I just need to be alone. Today's... brought back some memories."

He walked to the door. Jai immediately made to follow him, but Ursa stopped him.

"He said he wanted to be alone, sweetie."

"But-"

"I know you want to go comfort him, but sometimes people just need to be by themselves to sort things out."

LATER, IN THE GRASSLANDS OUTSIDE CAPITAL CITY

Before the Empire arrived on Lothal, a small network of comm towers guided all space traffic entering and departing the planet's spaceports. With the installation of a newfangled Imperial system, these towers became obsolete and were abandoned, a derelict testament to how the old had no place in the New Order. One of these towers, LothalNet comm tower E-272, had become Ezra's home after his parents were arrested and he was left to fend for himself. Apart from a bed and small kitchen area, it also fielded an old transmitter/receiver, some cartoonish drawings and Ezra's collection of helmets taken from Imperial personnel. He was still missing a scout trooper helmet, but that wasn't important right now. Ezra leaned on the guard rail at the top of the tower and gazed thoughtfully across the grassland to Capital City in the distance.

"Why are they looking for Tseebo?"

After a few moments of staring wistfully into space, he went back inside his former nest and over to a worktable where he'd tinkered with things during his spare time. On it sat a red toolbox which he opened, pulling out an ordinary-looking chunky keycard. It looked ordinary, anyway, but to him it carried great personal meaning. He held it to his chest, thinking about what it meant to him, when suddenly he heard a woman's voice speak to him as clearly as if she was in the room with him.

"_Ezra._"

"Mum?! Mum, is that you?!"

But nothing was there, no-one stepped through the door. He turned back to the card, ears alert, and then a man's voice.

"_Ezra._"

"Dad?"

"_Ezra, we have to stand up for people in need, especially those in trouble with the Empire._"

Ezra's head suddenly shot up.

"Tseebo. I know where he is."


	2. Chapter 2

MEANWHILE, IN CAPITAL CITY

The entire population had turned out for the annual Empire Day parade, though many of them only did so because not showing up would be deemed treasonous. Patriotic music blared out from loudspeakers and searchlights threw everything into sharp relief. Huge crowds lined the main thoroughfare, watching a parade of All Terrain Defense Pods march down it towards a stage which had been set up just outside the Imperial Complex. Imperial Troop Transports, speeder bikes and stormtroopers on foot patrol marched as well, observed by the officials on the stage. Three senior Imperials, to be exact; a handsome man in a flight suit, a second man in the garb of an Imperial officer and a short woman with blond hair and a conical tight-fitting helmet. This last person, the female, was Lothal's interim ruler, Minister Maketh Tua. She was a loyal Imperial citizen and good at maintaining public relations, since the official ruler of Lothal, Governor Arihnda Pryce, rarely felt the need to return to her backwater homeworld unless severely pushed, instead preferring the more 'civilized' urban centres of the Core Worlds. The officer, a cadaverous man named Cumberlayne Aresko, leaned over to speak to her, obviously seeking to ingratiate himself.

"Minister, I'm honoured Governor Pryce chose me to organise this little spectacle."

Her charming public smile vanished.

"This is no spectacle, Commandant!"

Startled by the woman's aggressive response, Aresko was given no time to obfuscate before Tua burst into her speech, enhanced by large videoscreens.

"Citizens, I am Minister Maketh Tua. Governor Pryce sends her regrets, but she was invited to Coruscant to celebrate with Emperor Palpatine himself!"

In the crowd Aresko's counterpart, a huge burly, bully of a man named Myles Grint, noticed some citizens weren't demonstrating quite enough patriotic fervour. Seeking to fix that, he roughly pushed first one then another.

"Let's hear some enthusiasm!"

Normally, the citizens whom he'd just pushed would have responded in kind but, since they liked having their arms unbroken, they let it go and began applauding. One of them, Tsokolo, suddenly found himself yanked around by the shoulder for the second time that day by a helmeted Imperial. This one's face was visible, however, showing a man in his late twenties with impressive strawberry-blond muttonchops and a square jaw which was firmly set.. He wore an Imperial uniform with a protective fleximetal cuirass and, slung across his back, a J-19 bo-rifle. This was Agent Kallus of the Imperial Security Bureau, a perennial foe of the _Ghost_ crew and of Zeb in particular; in their last encounter, Kallus had revealed the bo-rifle in his possession was taken during the Imperial massacre of Zeb's homeworld, Lasan. Today, however, he wasn't hunting Lasats. Like the TIE pilots, he compared Tsokolo to the picture of Tseebo he'd been given and saw that he wasn't him. He was a little more courteous than the pilots, however.

"Enjoy the celebrations, citizen."

Tsokolo nodded fearfully and watched as the ISB agent stalked away, shaking his head. That was the second time today! These racist Imperials: not all Rodians looked the same! Across the street, Kanan and the others were readying their own celebration.

"Everyone ready? Then let's get this party started!"

"Copy that. Commencing festivities."

Ursa and Jai followed Kanan, their ruse being a mother and son looking for their wayward family patriarch if anything went wrong. Hera lurked with them whilst Sabine and Zeb walked the other way into an alley. On the stage, Minister Tua was still speaking.

"Lothal is just as important to our Empire as any world in the galaxy and she wanted me to show you why. Citizens, I present you with the latest vessel from Lothal's Imperial shipyards, the Sienar Systems Advanced TIE starfighter!"

From the Complex, there rolled forwards a trolley bearing the ship itself. It had the iconic ball cockpit, but instead of the giant hexagonal wings there were a pair of curved wings which could fold up, allowing for more compact dimensions at the cost of installing a fuel tank since it wouldn't be able to absorb solar energy like an ordinary TIE. The rebels applauded as well; the fuel tank would probably help enlarge their boom. Kanan muttered to Hera.

"Beautiful, isn't it?"

"Yeah. I almost feel bad about blowing it up."

Oblivious to the imminent chaos, Tua was still speaking.

"And who better to take this beauty on her maiden voyage than one of the best Imperial pilots on Lothal, Baron Valen Rudor!"

The third person on stage, the man in the flight suit, waved in a dignified manner as a spotlight shone down on him. In the alley, Sabine tossed an explosive to Zeb.

"Okay, when I say 'now', throw this as high as you can."

Zeb nodded as the explosive began to buzz.

"OK, now?"

"Not yet."

The buzzing grew louder and more insistent.

"Now?"

The buzzing was now indicating imminent detonation.

"NOW?!"

"Now."

With a roar, Zeb hurled the explosive into the air. It soared ten feet, then exploded in a great burst of colour. Fireworks popped and whistled and banged, to great applause from the crowd. Even Minister Tua was clapping.

"Very good, Commandant. The Governor would be impressed."

Aresko smiled meekly.

"Thank you, Minister."

Behind them, Kanan was sneaking past the entranced guards towards the TIE Advanced. Sabine handed another explosive to Zeb.

"Another?"

"Don't mind if I do."

And up it went, providing Kanan with enough cover to sneak up behind the trolley and place a thermal charge on its wing, just under the fuel tank and internal reactor. Sneaking back, he was suddenly accosted by a stormtrooper.

"Hey, you there! This area's off-limits."

Kanan quickly fixed a goofy smile on his face and pointed up at the sky where the fireworks were still going off, affecting the character of one who'd imbibed a little too much in patriotic celebration.

"Did you see it?! It's so beautiful!"

The stormtrooper was caught off-guard, but then there was a kid by the man's side tugging him along.

"Dad, there you are! Sorry, sir, my father gets really excited!"

"Empire Day, whooo, I love Empire Day!"

The very confused stormtrooper looked at them; this wasn't in the manual. Then, to compound it, a woman and another boy had joined them. The woman, a short one with auburn hair, wrapped her arm around the drunk man.

"Oh, Craig, there you are! Have you been at the jet juice again?"

"Sorry, Ma. I know you told me to keep an eye on him."

"Oh, no worries. At least we found him before he could do any damage."

Now utterly bewildered, the stormtrooper conceded defeat and let them go. Once they were out of his earshot, Jai cuddled up to Ezra.

"And where did you go? You had me worried."

"Sorry, Jai. I just needed some alone time, and I think I found it."

Meanwhile, Kanan was talking to Ursa about her choice of false name for him.

"Craig? Seriously, that's what you could come up with?"

"Well, it was my father's name and you look a bit like him. Besides, it fooled that buckethead, didn't it?"

Kanan turned his attention to Ezra.

"Thanks for breaking me outta that one. Where you been?"

"Making some connections. How's the plan going?"

"Just watch."

On the fighter, the charge reached full power and detonated. A huge ball of coloured flames rose up, the shockwave knocking over the stage and sending Tua, Aresko and Rudor to the floor. The crowd scattered, knocking stunned stormtroopers aside like skittles in their panic, and Tua was already barking orders before a trooper helped her up.

"Who is responsible for this? Find them!"

Cackling maniacally, Zeb turned and ran with Sabine and the others, where they met up at another alley which gave them a good view of the square. A few citizens were still there, trying to figure out which way to run, but stormtroopers were pouring in in force, led by Agent Kallus who had his bo-rifle out. Zeb's eyes narrowed at the sight of the agent and he pulled his own bo-rifle out.

"Been spoiling to finish things with Agent Kallus!"

As he aimed at the ISB agent, a twinge in the Force alerted Ezra and Kanan to a new arrival. A foot taller than the personnel around him, his bald grey head, red tattoos and yellow eyes marked the Inquisitor out of any Imperial lineup. He was looking around like a bloodhound trying to catch the prey's scent. Jai felt a shiver of fear pass through him as Kanan pointed him out.

"You wanna take somebody out? Take out that guy!"

"Oh, fine!"

Pragmatism winning out over revenge, Zeb switched targets and fired off a few shots at the Pau'an, who winced in surprise as the shots instead struck the burning wreckage of the fighter behind him. As the rebels retreated, he glared after them.

ELSEWHERE

After putting two streets between themselves and the Inquisitor, they stopped to catch their breath. Kanan contacted Hera.

"Spectre-1 to Spectre-2, we need a pickup."

"_Negative, Spectre-2, the streets are blocked. I cannot, repeat, cannot reach rendezvous._"

"I know a place where we can hole up until things calm down, but Shoulders here might have trouble taking my route."

He was referring to Zeb, who glared at him.

"Then we need another option!"

"No, it's fine. Spectre-2, can you make it to the Old Market?"

"_Affirmative._"

"Then I'm on my way."

"We'll signal you with a new rendezvous."

They split up, Zeb climbing up to the rooftops whilst the others followed Ezra to an area with more than a few derelict houses. Stormtroopers were everywhere, peering into every nook and cranny, whilst in the square Agent Kallus was issuing orders to a stormtrooper.

"I want schematics of the city's ventilation systems, sewers, everything! And I want them now!"

The Inquisitor, unruffled by the assassination attempt, was issuing orders through his comlink.

"Lock down the entire city."

"_Sir, yes, sir!_"

Minister Tua, still fuming over the debacle, paced back and forth angrily.

"These rebels have ruined Empire Day! They must be punished!"

Agent Kallus turned to her, looking exasperated with the woman's anger.

"We all want that, Minister, but our priority is still the Rodian."

ELSEWHERE IN CAPITAL CITY

Ezra led the others through an old, abandoned housing area, finally stopping outside one building marked with official-looking Imperial notices. Sabine read some of them.

"That's an official Imperial warning declaring this place off-limits. What is this place?"

Ezra didn't respond, instead taking out the keycard he'd recovered from his tower. After staring intensely at it for a moment, he slid it into the lock and it beeped in confirmation. The doors slid open, but only halfway. Kanan scrutinised his apprentice.

"You were coming here today. This was your home, wasn't it? Where you grew up?"

"I grew up on the streets, alone."

He pushed the doors open wide enough for everyone to get inside, after which Kanan shut them. Sabine took off her helmet and looked around.

"So, why here? Why now?"

Ezra was looking around, as if searching for something.

"Had this feeling."

He walked over to what looked like a sitting area and pulled away a small, rotund table to reveal a hole which seemed to lead down into some kind of cellar. Then he gasped. Seated at the bottom of the ladder, sobbing quietly to himself, was the Rodian whom the Imperials had been searching so thoroughly for. He wore a grey uniform which was commonly worn by Imperial technicians and had an odd-looking metal construct on his head. In response to the light shining down on him, he looked up and saw Ezra.

"Tseebo? Tseebo, it's me. Ezra Bridger."

Tseebo stared at him blankly, then suddenly stood up and climbed the ladder to join the boy. He looked around inquisitively, almost in a childlike manner, then suddenly his headset beeped and he began speaking rapid-fire Rodese, walking randomly until he bumped into the opposite wall. Kanan stared at him.

"That's the Rodian the Imperials are hunting! You know him?"

"His name's Tseebo, friend of my parents. But something's wrong. What's that thing on his head?"

Sabine walked over to him and inspected his headset.

"The Empire's been known to implant low-level technicians with cybernetic circuits. Personality sacrificed for productivity."

She jumped back with a yelp as Tseebo's implant activated and his head snapped up.

"Tseebo's productivity is 19% higher than average Imperial data worker."

"Tseebo went to work for the Imperial Information Office after the Empire took my parents away."

They all stared at him in surprise, Jai and Kanan in particular. Ezra had never mentioned them before.

"Your parents? You never told us-"

"What's there to tell? They've been gone for eight years. I've been on my own since I was seven."

Tseebo, back to wandering about in a daze, started jabbering something about seven as Jai sat down next to Ezra and placed a hand on his shoulder. Kanan stared at the babbling Rodian.

"What's he saying?"

Sabine, who could speak Rodese and 5 other languages besides, was listening with rapt attention.

"He's detailing Imperial fighter deployments on Lothal!"

"That's it! Tseebo has intel the Empire doesn't want getting out! Sabine, can you access it?"

"I think so. Give me a few minutes."

She went behind Tseebo and began tinkering with his headset. Kanan turned back to Ezra, who was shrugging off Jai's attempt to comfort him.

"Ezra, are you okay?"

Ezra brushed him off, pulling himself away from Jai as well and descending the ladder that Tseebo had come up.

"Remember what I told you. Sometimes, you have to let your guard down."

"I said I'm fine."

"Ezra, please, you're making me worried. What's bothering you so much?"

Then Tseebo, who was still having his headset fiddled with, began speaking in Basic.

"Ezra Bridger, son of Mira and Ephraim Bridger. Born 15 years ago today."

All of them gasped collectively at this.

"Empire Day. It's Ezra's birthday."

Jai followed his boyfriend down the ladder, where he found him gazing thoughtfully at an old transmitter and holding some sort of disc. He wrapped his arms around him, hugging him close and sending loving thoughts to him through their Force bond.

"Sweetheart, you didn't tell me it was your birthday! Then we could have had a real celebration and not this tacky Empire Day!"

"I don't want a celebration, alright."

"Ezra, I'm just trying to make you happy."

"Well, stop. I didn't ask you to."

"But-"

Then Ezra whipped round and Jai was astonished to see the anger and pain in his boyfriend's eyes.

"Look, I said to just back off! Can't you understand that I'm upset over losing my parents on this day? Oh, wait, no you don't because you don't know what it's like!"

Jai stared at him and it was obvious he couldn't have been more hurt and surprised than if Ezra had hit him. His eyes shining, he walked over to the ladder and prepared to climb up it. Before doing so, he spoke without turning round, an audible break in his voice.

"I lost my dad, Ezra. I was young and I loved him, and he died. I do know how you feel. Think about that."

Then he climbed up and was gone, leaving Ezra alone with his thoughts. Anger and sadness were still coursing through him, but now directed at himself for what he'd just said. He clenched the disk he was holding, then started as he heard more voices around him.

"_The risk you Bridgers take, Tseebo says you must think of your son!_"

"_He's all we think about! We're teaching Ezra to stand up for people in need!_"

"_We're fighting for our son's freedom!_"

"_Tseebo not fight battles Tseebo know cannot be won. Neither should Bridgers."_

Suddenly, he was jerked out of his trance by Sabine, who was looking at him with a mixture of pity and anger.

"You know, I understand this day has brought back some bad memories, but my advice is don't take it out on someone who loves you."

"I know! I hate what I said to him, but I don't know if he'll understand."

"He will. You just need to let your guard down and let him in."

"You sound like Kanan."

"I do listen to your Jedi training, more than you do it seems. Anyway, you'll wanna see this."

As he placed the disc back on the table, Sabine noticed and picked it up.

"What's this?"

"My parents used to run underground broadcasts against the Empire from here. It's probably just one of them."

He went up the ladder without a second glance, but Sabine picked it up curiously before following him. There, she activated her wrist device and Tseebo's implant beeped before a holographic projection lit up the darkened room. Screen after screen of data, figures, schematics and images flashed across the display. Jai, who had been skulking red-eyed in a corner, gasped in wonderment.

"What is all this?"

Sabine, a look of reverence on her face, studied the data.

"It's, well, it's everything! Imperial specs on the new TIEs and T8 disruptors, schedules of troop movements, tactics and strategies. Half of it's encrypted, but it looks like there's a five-year plan for Lothal and every other world in the Outer Rim!"

Apparently, this was too much for poor Tseebo. The hologram shut off and he fell forwards.

"No wonder he's shorting out. All that data'd overload anyone."

"The secrets in his head must be damaging to the Empire! We have to smuggle him off Lothal."

"Out of town, first and foremost. You know, the only reason they haven't caught him yet is because their forces were occupied with Empire Day. But the day's almost done."

A resounding clang jarred them all, for a moment thinking stormtroopers were banging about right outside, but Jai pointed to the corner and they saw the cause of the noise was Tseebo, who had walked into a door. Ursa watched him curiously.

"Curious little thing, isn't he? Well, if we want to get him out of the city, we'll need something heavy to smash our way out."

"Why can't we have Hera pick us up?"

"Unauthorized ship entering city airspace during a lockdown? We'd have two dozen TIE fighters on us before Hera could even touch down. No, once we're out of the city Hera can pick us up there."

ELSEHWERE

The search for Tseebo was now Priority One, which had the entire garrison out in force with full warrants to detain, seize and search all citizens and properties. Down the street from the former Bridger residence, an Imperial Troop Transport sat waiting with two speeder bikes and a pair of stormtroopers. One of the biker scouts issued orders to his companion.

"Tear open every rathole in this sector! Find that Rodian!"

They sped off in different directions, leaving the transport and the two stormtroopers to guard the street. Suddenly, there was a sharp report and one of the troopers flew back into the wall behind him, a single black burn on his shiny armour. His companion looked around wildly for the source of the shot, turning around to find himself staring right at Sabine's pink helmet. Before he could do more than process this information, Sabine's right-hand gauntlet connected with his faceplate, dropping him to the ground senseless. Sabine groaned and massaged her knuckles.

"Ow! I miss Zeb!"

The transport door opened and its driver peeked out, alerted by the brief scuffle, and found himself face to face with a grinning Kanan, who flashed him a brief peace sign before pummeling him to the ground. A third stormtrooper, rounding the corner, spotted them and raised his blaster.

"Halt! You are under-"

CLANG!

The trooper flinched, remained standing for a few moments, then crumpled like a puppet with its strings cut to reveal a grinning Ursa standing behind him holding a large, cast-iron frying pan. She admired it for a moment, then stuck it in her belt. Ezra, who along with Jai was trying to steer Tseebo in the right direction, recognised it.

"Hey, that was my mother's frying pan!"

"Well, better it be put back in use than rust, don't you think?"

"I know! Just, you know, be careful!"

"Sweetheart, you know stormtrooper armour doesn't protect you from anything. I'm sure your mother's frying pan will be fine no matter how many stormtroopers my mother hits with it."

Managing to drag Tseebo across the square, though failing to shut him up, they all piled into the transport and Sabine started it up. Outside, the transport's erstwhile driver regained equilibrium just in time to see his own craft speeding away from him.


	3. Chapter 3

AT THE MAIN ROAD IN AND OUT OF CAPITAL CITY

All roads leading in and out of the city had been blockaded, including the main highway. Commandant Aresko and Taskmaster Grint had been charged with ensuring that nobody got through and they were prepared for it. Or so they thought. A single ITT and a pair of AT-DPs blocked the road, one right behind the transport. Aresko, feeling rather bored, jumped as his comlink activated. The deep voice of Agent Kallus came through, sounding agitated.

"_Commandant Aresko, an Imperial Troop Transport was reported stolen in the lower city. I'm on my way but do not let it past!_"

"Understood, Agent Kallus. We're ready."

Relishing the thought of stopping the rebels, and the promotion which was likely to follow, Aresko ordered his troopers to take up positions. They had been waiting only two minutes before the stolen transport rounded the corner in the distance and sped towards them. Aresko, confident in his blockade, muttered to himself.

"That's far enough, rebel scum!"

Inside the transport, the occupants could clearly see what was waiting for them. Sabine punched the accelerator to its maximum speed.

"I have no intention of stopping."

"Well, that's good to know!"

"Wonder how long it's gonna take them to realise it?"

Aresko was convinced that the rebel transport would immediately halt and surrender itself upon seeing his forces. When it didn't even slow its pace, he thought it was time to get a bit more commanding. He stood in the middle of the road and held out one hand.

"Stop!"

It kept barreling towards him, so he gestured for his troops to fire. The shots from both the troopers and the walkers slammed into the front of the oncoming transport but not only did it not stop, it answered back with it's own heavy cannons. Finally realising that it wasn't going to stop no matter what, Aresko threw himself headlong to the side seconds before it could obliterate him. One of the AT-DPs planted its foot directly in the transport's path, evidently under the impression that that would stop it, but it turned out to be quite the wrong move. The transport, moving at roughly 150 kph, collided with the walker's foot and its entire right leg, unable to bear the sudden wrenching force, tore clean out of its socket and the walker toppled with a crash. Still barreling forwards, the transport then crashed directly into the side of the transport Aresko had parked sidelong across the motorway, cleaving it in two. As Aresko gathered himself back together, two speeder bikes and a transport sped past him, pursuing the rogue one. Inside the rebel transport, Jai and Ezra were nearly knocked to the floor by the impacts but stayed standing. An immature giggle escaped Ezra's lips and Jai copied it; kids loved destruction. In the pursuing transport, Agent Kallus activated its communicator.

"This is Agent Kallus, ISB-021, calling the Inquisitor! The rebels are through the main gate and heading south!"

IN THE IMPERIAL COMPLEX HANGAR

The Inqusitor, a Special Adjutant's helmet tucked under one arm, regarded the hologram of Agent Kallus as it reported the situation. A pair of TIE pilots followed him.

"Their ship will be waiting. Slow them down. We're on our way."

The TIE pilots ran to their respective crafts, which were parked next to a TIE Advanced of the same model the rebels had blown up hours earlier. Donning his helmet, the Inquisitor climbed inside it.

BACK ON THE HIGHWAY OUT OF THE CITY

The two transports continued to hurtle down the road, but the speeder bikes were the faster ones and they quickly caught up. One of them came up alongside the transport and the driver placed a charge on the door. This was a boarding charge which would overload and detonate the door, which is exactly what it did. Ezra, who was closest to the door, readied his energy slingshot and prepared to fire on whoever came through it, but was surprised to see only a riderless bike outside. Then he was falling back in pain as the rider swung in from his perch on the roof and kicked him in the chest, sending him flying into Jai and they both crashed against the wall. The rider drew his blaster, but stopped as he spotted Tseebo.

"The Rodian!"

Then he was flattened against the wall as Kanan attacked him, punching him repeatedly in the stomach. Shaking him off, the rider prepared to shoot them but suddenly felt himself lifted by unseen hands and flung out the open doorway. Unfortunately for him, the other bike had chosen that particular moment to come up alongside and he slammed right into it with a thud. Wrong-footed by the impact, the bike careened out of control and smacked into a lamppost. In the pursuing transport, Kallus watched the fate of the two riders with nary a flinch. Opening the door, he issued orders to his driver.

"Get me closer."

His transport was now only two inches away from the rebel one, and he seized the moment by jumping onto theirs. Deploying his bo-rifle, he turned at the sound of whining engines to see the _Ghost _hovering right over him. The boarding ramp opened and there stood Zeb, his own weapon in his hands.

"Remember me?!"

He fired down upon his hated foe, who barely dodged them. He yelled at his still-pursuing transport.

"Take them down!"

The Imperial transport's turret, a twin-barreled heavy cannon, swiveled round and began to fire up at the _Ghost_. In the cockpit, Hera grimaced as her ship took the heavy hits.

"Shields holding, but I need that transport taken out! Chopper, you got this?"

Chopper, always eager to hurt something, manned the _Ghost_'s rear cannon, which was also its auxiliary craft, a VCX-auxiliary starfighter called the _Phantom_. The twin blaster cannons spat powerful laser bolts at the transport, disrupting its stabilisers. The uncontrollable transport then tipped over and flipped several times, with Chopper cheering his accomplishment. Inside the rebel transport, Sabine activated the autopilot whilst her fellows prepared to evacuate, unaware of Agent Kallus waiting for them up top. Before the ISB agent could attempt anything, however, Zeb fired a shot which narrowly avoided him, but caused him to lose his balance and topple over the back of the transport. Grinning in satisfaction, Zeb hailed his friends.

"You're all clear. Pull over and we'll pick you up."

"_Negative on that, it'll have to be a scoop job. Sensors reading multiple TIES incoming!_"

Tseebo, still vacantly expressioned, once more flipped out.

"TIE fighters will begin mass-production on Lothal within the next six weeks."

"You're just full of fun facts, aren't you?"

Meanwhile, Agent Kallus was still there, defiantly clinging on to the back of the transport. Oblivious to his presence, the rebels climbed one by one onto the roof, with Ezra and Jai heaving Tseebo up since he was incapable of doing it himself, as the _Ghost _lowered itself enough for them to climb aboard. Agent Kallus, dragging himself up and over, spotted the elusive Rodian and let out a huge bellow of anger before firing his bo-rifle, determined that the rebels would not escape with him. Kanan, snapping his lightsaber together, yelled for his companions to go whilst he held off the enemy. His lightsaber's blue blade flared to life and he raised it to his face, deflecting every shot fired at him. Finally, throwing a cocky smile at the agent, Kanan leapt high up into the air and right into the _Ghost_, which streaked for orbit. Watching it go, Kallus quickly activated his comlink.

"Kallus to Inquisitor, the Rodian Tseebo is confirmed aboard the rebel vessel!"

Almost instantly, he heard the familiar howling engines and five TIEs soared overhead. Four of them were the ordinary ones, but the fifth was the new model and it had the Inquisitor at the helm.

"Acknowledged. TIEs, assume attack formation and fire at will."

As one, emerald green bolts lanced through the air towards the freighter, which bucked under the impacts.

"I need my gunners, shields won't hold long under this barrage!"

"Almost there!"

Kanan was hurrying to man the dorsal turret that sat atop the _Ghost_, whilst Chopper continued to man the _Phantom._ The TIEs broke formation to dodge the fire and the Inquisitor fired a precise blast that hit the aft section perfectly. The blast sent a surge that hit Chopper full on, sending him flying back inactive. In the communal area, the group struggled to stay on their feet as the powerful blast pummeled the ship.

"Karabast, that came from behind! Is that scrap heap even paying attention?!"

Zeb headed for the aft section, cursing Chopper with language so colourful it would have made a Hutt collapse.

"I have to man the nose gun!"

"I'm coming with you!"

Suddenly, another impact sent Ezra careening into Tseebo, who blinked rapidly; apparently, that had brought him back to his senses. He stared around, then looked into Ezra's face and started in astonishment.

"Ezra? Ezra Bridger?"

Ezra stumbled backwards and the Rodian followed, babbling insistently in Rodese. Sabine, who was about to leave, froze.

"What's he saying?"

"Yeah, what is he saying?"

"He says, he says he knows what happened to your parents!"


	4. Chapter 4

"He says, he says he knows what happened to your parents!"

Jai and Ursa exchanged incredulous looks, but Ezra was stony-faced. Meanwhile, the _Ghost_ had exited Lothal's atmosphere and was heading for deep space, but the TIEs were making things very difficult. Hera, seeing their shields were reaching critical, decided enough was enough.

"Chopper, I'm rolling us starboard! Be ready on those rear guns!"

Zeb, who was still cursing the astromech, stopped when he saw him lying deactivated in the _Phantom_.

"Karabast! Chopper's down, but I've got you covered, Hera!"

Hera rolled the _Ghost_ hard to starboard so that she was almost upside down, allowing Zeb to get a bead on their annoying pursuers. One TIE was struck by his fire and exploded, but his smile vanished as four more took its place, leaving seven in pursuit. The Inquisitor, still leading the attack, issued orders to his bolstered escorts.

"Open fire! Their shields will not hold indefinitely."

He fired on them himself and the ship took a bad hit.

"Sabine, I need you in the nose gun now!"

Sabine was still wavering, waiting to see if Tseebo would reveal any more information.

"Didn't you hear Hera?"

"Didn't you hear Tseebo? He says he knows what happened to your parents!"

"I already know what happened to them! They're dead! So go!"

She looked at him for a moment, then nodded reluctantly and ran to man the nose gun. The moment she was gone, Ezra seized the Rodian by the shoulders and shook him.

"Are they? Are my parents dead?"

"Ezra, please! You might hurt him!"

As the _Ghost c_ontinued to dodge the Imperial fire, Hera activated the internal comm.

"Someone want to explain to me why we're extra popular tonight?"

"We've picked up a passenger, the Rodian the Imperials are hunting!"

"And he's important because?"

"Because his implant has downloaded half the Empire's secrets!"

Hera stopped; that wasn't what she'd been expecting to hear.

"OK, I can see why that's important. Let's get him out of here!"

The Ghost continued to flee the Imperials, reducing their number from seven to six with a well-placed shot from Zeb. Meanwhile, Ezra was still interrogating Tseebo.

"The Bridgers should hide! The troopers came, they took Mira and Ephraim away!"

"Where? Where did they take them?!"

"No, no, no. Forgive Tseebo, forgive him."

"Forgive you?!"

"Tseebo was afraid, Tseebo let troopers take Bridgers away. Failed to watch over their son."

"You coward! You could have stopped them! Why didn't you stop them?!"

Jai, who had been watching with apprehension, now stepped forward and laid a hand on Ezra's shoulder, trying to calm him down.

"Be reasonable, Ezra, what could he have done? They'd have just arrested him too, or worse."

But Ezra threw him off, focusing on Tseebo, who was in great distress as his headset whined and warbled.

"_Shields down! Ezra, I need you in the cockpit!_"

"On my way!"

He turned burning eyes on the whimpering Rodian in front of him.

"Forgive you?! My parents trusted you and you failed them! You failed me! I'll never forgive you for that!"

He turned away from him and ran for the cockpit, leaving a very upset Jai to watch Tseebo. Ursa placed a comforting arm around her son.

"Don't worry too much. He's just going through a very difficult emotional ordeal, like you did once."

Jai remembered how he had suffered a breakdown after his father's death and the cruel betrayal of his first boyfriend, how he had raged and screamed against the universe for how it treated him. He knew that Ezra would come back to himself; he was just afraid that he'd carry his burden and be unable to let it go. Meanwhile, the Inquisitor and four TIEs were still chasing the _Ghost_.

"Quite a ship."

The Inquisitor flicked a switch and his TIE deployed a tracking missile which latched onto the ship and detached, leaving a homing device attached to the hull. It immediately began to send a signal to the Inquisitor, confirming activation. In the _Ghost'_s cockpit, Hera waved her hand at the smoking instrument panel as Ezra came bursting in.

"Ezra, the navigational computer's offline. With Chopper down, I need you to fix it."

"Not exactly my specialty."

"Well make it your specialty, and fast!"

She looked back out the viewport and quickly wished she hadn't, for bearing down on them were the last things she wanted to see: two Imperial Star Destroyers, bristling with armaments and getting closer with each passing minute.

"Or this ship becomes a real ghost!"

The Destroyers were holding back on firing their weapons, but each deployed TIEs in mass numbers. Hera was now struggling to avoid hostile fire from both in front and behind while Ezra fiddled about under the console.

"Could really use that navicomputer!"

"Rewiring as fast as I can!"

Suddenly, the doors opened and Tseebo wandered in followed by Jai and Ursa.

"Fast travel across interstellar distances, hyperspace is optimal."

He ducked under where Ezra had been working and fiddled about himself, with Hera watching closely.

"What is he doing?"

Suddenly, the navicomputer flared back into commission with a set of coordinates preprogrammed into it. Just in time, too, for the TIEs were nearly on top of them.

"I don't believe this. Hang on!"

With a high-powered screech, the hyperdrive engaged and the ship screamed into lightspeed right between the Star Destroyers, leaving the two groups of TIEs barreling towards each other with no rebel craft between them. Two of them, unable to pull up and away in time, collided and blew up but their loss barely registered with the Inquisitor, who removed his helmet and fumed over his escaped prey.

IN HYPERSPACE

Ezra dragged Tseebo upright as Hera stood up to inspect him closely.

"Uhhh, Hera, this is Tseebo."

"Uh-huh, and did Tseebo just signal hyperspace coordinates directly to my ship?"

"That would be my guess."

"Well then, thank you, Tseebo. I think you just saved our lives."

"Well, there's a first time for everything, I guess."

Ezra pushed past the Rodian and left the cockpit, leaving Hera staring curiously after him.

IN THE SPACE ABOVE LOTHAL

The two Star Destroyers had taken up stationary positions and allowed the TIEs to dock with them. The Inquisitor's docked with the first one, the ISD _Relentless, _captained by Admiral Kassius Konstantine. On the bridge, officers and technicians looked up as the Pau'an stalked towards the Admiral himself, who quickly ceased his conversation with an officer as the alien approached.

"We are receiving a signal from the tracker. They will not outrun us for long."

The Inquisitor barely acknowledged him, instead staring out into the black void of space.

"I can still sense the Jedi and his Padawan within my grasp."

With a whining of engines, the _Relentless_ jumped to lightspeed as well.

ONBOARD THE GHOST

Hera and Sabine were working on rebooting Chopper whilst Kanan tried to get a response out of Tseebo and Jai sat holding Ezra's hand. His boyfriend hadn't yet shrugged this off, which made him hopeful. Kanan waved his hand in front of Tseebo's face, but got nothing.

"So now what do we do with him?"

"We have a few ideas. But you're the one with a history with Tseebo. What do you think we should do with him?"

Ezra stared at him, then turned away and picked up his modified cadet helmet, the one which he had worn when he and Jai first met. It now bore a paintjob courtesy of Sabine.

"Don't know, don't much care."

"Ezra, you'll never advance as a Jedi if you can't be honest. With yourself, at least."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

He got up and attempted to stroll past his master, who grabbed his helmet off as he went past.

"It means Tseebo matters to you. You do care what happens to him."

"Why should I? He did nothing to save my parents!"

"What could he have done against the entire Empire?"

Sabine now decided to join in the conversation.

"And look at what he's done since. These implants are encouraged, but they're not mandatory. Not yet, at least. He must have volunteered, then he uploaded their secrets and ran. Maybe he's trying to make up for letting you down. Why else would he take on the Empire alone?"

Tseebo suddenly snapped back to life and muttered a short sentence in Rodese. It sounded like gibberish to the others, but the colour drained from Sabine's face.

"He says the Empire can track the _Ghost._"

That got everyone's attention.

"Please. The Empire can't follow us through hyperspace. Can they?"

Tseebo's implant activated and a hologram of an odd-looking device was shown.

"Imperial XX-23 S-thread tracker was developed by Sienar Systems to trace ships through hyperspace to destination."

"Hera, could they have tagged us with that thing?"

"We'll soon find out."

She adjusted Chopper's signal array and he warbled back to life, flailing his manipulator arms around reflexively. Hera soon calmed him down.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Calm down, Chopper! You were just offline for a few minutes. We need you to scan the _Ghost_ for that."

Chopper took a good look at the hologram of the tracker, then activated his scanner. After a few moments, he grunted something and his holoprojector activated to show a hologram of the _Ghost_. A red blip on it was pulsating, indicating the presence of the tracker. Sabine frowned.

"So they did tag us."

"Yes, but the good news is the tracker's actually on the hull of the _Phantom_."

"How is that good news?"

"It'll allow us to detach the _Phantom_ and lead the Imperials away from the _Ghost_."

Sabine looked at him as though he'd just grown another two heads.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! You wanna detach from the _Ghost_ in hyperspace? Do you have any idea how dangerous that is?!"

"Not as dangerous as what I plan to do with the ship."

"Can't wait to hear this!"

"I checked our current trajectory. If you could modify the hyperspace coordinates-"

"I could."

"- then we can pass by the asteroid field where the old clone base is."

Now Sabine and Jai were looking at him.

"You mean the base with the nasties who live in the shadows?"

"You're crazy! Those fyrnocks almost ate us alive and you want to go back there?!"

"Fyrnocks? Is that what those things are called?"

"Yeah. They're silicon-based lifeforms that can survive in the vacuum. Like mynocks, except they prefer meat to chewing on power cables. I looked it up after we encountered them."

"Riiight. And exactly why would we want to go down there?"

"He's right, Kanan. Why not just drop the _Phantom_ off and let the Imperials recover their tracker?"

"Because there's more than just a tracker at work here. I sensed it back on Lothal. The Inquisitor is after us and as long as me and Ezra are on the Ghost, that jeapordises Tseebo's escape."

"Why just you and Ezra? What about me?"

"The Inquisitor doesn't know about you, so chances are you'll be safe."

"But I don't want to be safe if you and Ezra are still at risk! That's not fair!"

"Be that as it may, I'm afraid there's no choice in the matter."


	5. Chapter 5

LATER

Tseebo was still staring blankly into space, blissfully unaware of Ezra glaring at him and Jai trying not to cry at the thought of losing his boyfriend. He'd seen that freaky Inquisitor briefly on Lothal and though the guy had scared the living heck out of him, he was more scared of Ezra facing him without him by his side. Sabine entered, looking thoughtfully at Ezra.

"So, your parents. Do you really believe they're dead?"

"I don't know. Does it matter?"

"Of course it matters! You have to talk to Tseebo before we go!"

"Tried that already."

"OK, so try harder! Once Hera takes him away, you may never see Tseebo again!"

"She's right. I know you must be afraid of knowing, but surely closure is better than a lifetime of wondering."

"Look, I've been on my own since I was seven. If I'd let myself believe they were still alive, that they'd come back and get me, I'd never have learned how to survive."

"But you did survive, sweetheart. And now you have us. But surely you cannot be willing to pass up this opportunity to know what happened to them?"

Before Ezra could respond, the door slid open to reveal Kanan. If he'd heard any part of their conversation, he gave no sign.

"Are you ready?"

"One second."

He suddenly reached round, grabbed Jai by the waist and kissed him on the lips. Jai looked at him, eyes welling as he took the hint.

"You'd better come back to me, you hear? Or I'm wading into the Force and dragging you back out of it so I can kill you for leaving me!"

Ezra let out a small laugh, the first genuine one for quite a while.

"I plan to. And, I'm sorry for the things I said earlier, the way I treated you today. You were only trying to make me feel better and I didn't let you in. I shut you out."

"Ezra, you know I forgive you for that. I just don't want you to suffer because of your fear and anger. If you don't let them go, they'll turn inwards and poison you. Believe me, I know."

Ezra stared at him thoughtfully, but did not respond. He pulled away and walked with Kana towards the _Phantom_. Jai watched him go, feeling worried. Sabine placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I know, kid. I'm worried about him too."

"I don't know how to help him."

"I think, if my limited knowledge of the Force is reliable, he will help himself."

IN THE _PHANTOM_

Ezra pulled out one of the folding chairs and sat down, mulling over what Jai and Sabine had told him. Despite the truth in their words, he still could not seem to find it in himself to forgive Tseebo. The Rodian might have done all this to try and make up for failing to help the Bridger family, but it seemed too little too late to Ezra. Kanan, unaware of his apprentice's conflict, prepared for detachment.

"_Are you sure about this, Kanan? You won't be any more welcome there than the Imperials._"

"That's what I'm counting on."

"_Just be safe. And look out for each other._"

"We will, Hera. Don't you worry."

"_You do know that saying that automatically makes us worry, right sweetheart?_"

"Love you too, Jai."

"_May the Force be with you._"

Hera pressed some buttons in the cockpit.

"Beginning separation in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1... Detach!"

On her mark, the _Phantom_ disengaged from the _Ghost_ and spun in freefall through hyperspace. After a moment, there was a great burst of multicoloured light that filled the shuttle and blinded them. Engines screamed as the _Phantom_, still going at lightspeed, ripped its way out of hyperspace and back into realspace. Kanan struggled to bring the ship to bear before the G-forces of the sheer acceleration and sudden reversal to realspace could combine and tear the ship apart. Ezra closed his eyes and braced for death, but instead all he heard and felt was the _Phantom_ settling into a normal speed and Kanan's very audible sigh of relief. That had been a close one! Kanan flashed him a grin over his shoulder.

"That was the easy part!"

"Great. I hate to imagine the encore."

They were indeed on course for the asteroid field that was all that remained of the shipyard world of Anaxes, destroyed years ago in an unknown cataclysm. A clone base, Fort Anaxes, had survived intact on a large chunk of the planet's remains and was now inhabited by the deadly light-fearing fyrnocks. Kanan steered the Phantom on a course to the old clone base, ignoring the fear emanating from the boy behind him.

IN HYPERSPACE

The _Relentless_ was making good time in its pursuit of the rebels, its Class One hyperdrive affording it hyperspace qualities few other ships in the galaxy possessed. On the bridge, the Inquisitor stood facing the viewports with his eyes closed, deep in meditation and immersing himself in the dark side, seeking out his prey. Behind him, Admiral Konstantine watched with a mixture of curiosity and amused skepticism. The Pau'an's yellow eyes, tainted by the dark side, opened.

"I sense movement in the Force."

Admiral Konstantine stifled a snort; these mystics and their pathetic belief in this so-called Force was both amusing and baffling to him, as was the unfathomable reason the Emperor had for keeping them around. In fact, he wasn't even sure he believed in these supposed Jedi they were pursuing so ardently. Those monks with their swords of light and their apparently magical powers had all died fourteen years ago during the Emperor's purge of their order, so why was it he had to take orders from this alien? At that moment, however, the Inquisitor turned to look at him with an expression of unmistakable anger. Despite his earlier thoughts, Admiral Konstantine could not help but think (impossibly) that this creature had read his mind and he should be eternally grateful that he was still breathing. He adjusted his collar nervously.

"Yes. Well, the tracker indicates they have dropped out of hyperspace. Should we-?"

"At once, Admiral."

Konstantine nodded and beat a hasty retreat to carry out these orders, the better to put distance between himself and the alien.

ON THE ASTEROID

The _Phantom_ hovered in for a landing, with Ezra getting more agitated with each passing moment.

"Wanna tell me the plan again?"

"I didn't tell you what the plan was, remember?"

"Yes! So tell me!"

"Remember the nasties Sabine,Hera and Jai encountered here?"

"The ones that tried to rip my face off?"

"Well, if we're going to survive this, I'm going to need you to connect with them like I was trying to teach you back on Lothal."

Ezra looked at him as though he'd just calmly told him they were going to jump into a black hole.

"Are you insane? Now's not really the best time for a lesson!"

"Oh? But this is the way you seem to learn best; by surviving."

Ezra couldn't form an appropriate response to that, but by that point they were flying inside the hangar itself where the creatures lived. If they were smart enough to recognise them from last time, then they were in even deeper shit than ever. The Phantom's powerful searchlights picked out ruined ships and moving figures, the fyrnocks who were objecting to this intrusion.

"Kanan, I can't do this. I'm... I'm afraid."

"Well, kid, I've got news for you. Everyone's afraid, but admitting it as you just did makes you braver than most. And it's a step forward."

"Yeah, into the jaws of a nightmare!"

The _Phantom_ settled down and Kanan deactivated the lights.

"I'll take care of the tracking device. You, go and make some new friends."

"Heh-heh, sure! Friends!"

He looked around, the fear increasing with every passing minute. He could hear Kanan clambering up onto the Phantom and then a clatter of metal, which presumably meant he'd found the tracking device and disposed of it. Taking panicky breaths, Ezra held out his hand to sense for the creature's presence. Then, eyes began to appear everywhere, some far away, others much too close for his liking. He began to chant to himself, his tone growing more hysterical with each word uttered.

"One with the Force, one with the Force, one with the Force!"

The fyrnocks could sense his fear and now they were closing ranks, which didn't put him any more at ease. Kanan, seeing one about to pounce, leapt in.

"You're blocked! Let go!"

"I can't!"

"Don't be afraid!"

"I'm not afraid of them!"

"Then what are you afraid of?"

He held out his arms, his eyes closed so that he wouldn't see the advancing wave of death.

"I'm afraid of knowing! I'm afraid of the truth!"

One of them was now very close. Opening its mouth, it lunged at him.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I forgive you, Tseebo! I forgive you!"

MANY LIGHTYEARS AWAY

Tseebo still stood vacantly in the corner whilst Sabine and Jai tinkered with the old disc Sabine had taken from the Bridger house. Then, suddenly, the Rodian snapped back into the real world and looked around him for Ezra whom he could have sworn was just talking to him.

"I, too, am sorry. Forgive me, for everything."

Then he fell forwards and began snoring. Sabine and Jai exchanged bewildered looks.

"What just happened?"

"Unless I'm mistaken, Ezra just helped himself."

"You think so?"

Jai touched his heart.

"I know so."

IN FORT ANAXES

Ezra braced himself for the teeth and claws to come slicing through his body, but seconds passed and they did not so he chanced to open his eyes a little. They flew open in horror when he saw a dozen large fyrnocks sitting feet from him, but then he realised they weren't attacking him. They were calm, like the Loth-cat Kanan and Jai had befriended. Ezra, still apprehensive, moved forwards cautiously and held out his hand to one of them. It sniffed it, then allowed him to stroke it. He let out a nervous titter.

IN DEEP SPACE

Once they were sure they were out of Imperial range, Hera had sent a coded transmission to her mysterious contact, Fulcrum, to inform them of the situation. They had been waiting only ten minutes before a set of rendezvous coordinates was sent in response. They had to jump to two different systems before coming up on the designated meeting point, which Hera had said was a precaution against Imperial pursuit or discovery. Upon exiting hyperspace, they were met by a ship which Jai (who had an eye for these things) immediately recognised as a CR90 corvette. Manufactured by Corellian Engineering, they were known informally as blockade runners because their small size, large engine bank and massive passenger and cargo spaces made them perfect for outrunning larger vessels or evading planetary blockades. This one was mostly white with a few stripes of blue here and there, but otherwise nondescript. Hera brought the _Ghost_ up alongside the corvette and docked with its port-side airlock.

"_Fulcrum to_ Ghost, _docking complete. Heading to the airlock now._"

"Acknowledged, Fulcrum. We're ready and waiting."

Sabine, lounging in her seat, spoke up.

"I don't suppose the rest of us can come back there and meet Fulcrum with you?"

"Nope. This time you stay in the cockpit."

"That's what we did last time."

"And the time before that."

"And the time before that."

Hera left her companions still rambling and found Tseebo at the airlock, now more in control of himself.

"You seem better."

"Tseebo's head is clearer now, but it is difficult. There is so much information inside Tseebo."

"Fulcrum's people will help with that, and keep you safe."

"Will Tseebo see Ezra Bridger again?"

"Maybe, someday. Is there anything you'd like me to tell him?"

Tseebo sighed.

"Oh, Tseebo failed Bridgers and their son. Tried to make it right by accessing Imperial files."

"And that intel will be invaluable."

"Oh, intel unimportant! An accident! Tseebo access file on Mira and Ephraim Bridger. Tseebo know Bridgers fate."

"Then tell me, Tseebo. Tell me and I'll tell Ezra."

MEANWHILE, BACK IN THE COCKPIT

Ursa was thinking to herself, long and hard, and she came to a decision.

"Empire Day, yesterday, was Ezra's birthday. Correct?"

Jai looked at her.

"Yes. Mum, where are you going with this?"

"It's now where I'm going, it's where we're going. And we are going to the kitchen."

With that, she seized her son by the arm and dragged him off to the kitchen, Sabine and Zeb watching with a mix of confusion and amusement.

"I swear, I will never understand that woman."

"Hey, at least she's nice. And a great cook."


	6. Chapter 6

APPROACHING THE DEBRIS FIELD WHERE ANAXES ONCE WAS

The _Relentless_ had dropped out of hyperspace near the remains of Anaxes and held position; it could have annihilated the asteroid where the tracking signal was coming from easily with its turbolasers, but the Inquisitor wanted the Jedi alive so it held back. Instead, a single _Sentinel_-class shuttle was deployed from its ventral hangar and sped towards the asteroid field. Setting down on the old clone base, a detachment of stormtroopers disembarked the vessel and stood to attention as the Inquisitor descended the ramp. A stormtrooper wearing a red pauldron, the squad leader, stepped forward.

"They're here, all right. The rebel ship is inside."

"Keep them contained. I want them alive."

The Imperial detachment marched forwards with military efficiency towards the dark hangar where the ship was located.

"Hold formation. Lights up!"

The stormtroopers, as one, switched on the torches built into their blasters and they immediately lit up the rebel craft, parked in the middle of the hangar. Then it moved and lit up two sitting figures. One of the troopers called out excitedly.

"Sir, they're over... here."

His voice trailed off as he saw what was sitting behind them. Creatures almost as big as they were, with glowing yellow eyes and sharp teeth. The Inquisitor stopped.

"Wait. I sense something."

"Sir, they're not alone."

The two rebels hadn't moved or even opened their eyes this whole time. Then they did move; as one, the man and the boy raised their arms and pointed. It took a moment for the troopers to realise they were pointing at them and another moment for them to realise why. Then all hell broke loose for them as the creatures, some of them larger than the troopers themselves, darted forwards and came for them.

"Shoot it! Shoot it!"

Stormtroopers were trained endlessly from morning to night to never back down from any enemy. But there had been nothing about this in the training manual and more than one of them lost control of his bowels at the sight of these things coming for them out of the darkness. The hangar filled with the shouts of panicked men and blasterfire, but through this the Inquisitor marched calmly as though taking a leisurely stroll in the park. His teeth bared themselves in a grin as one creature flew at him, only to squeal in surprise as it was lifted and thrown with invisible hands into a dark corner.

"So this was your plan, was it? To lure us here and allow these creatures to do your work for you?"

Kanan opened his eyes to stare down his advancing foe.

"And how do you think it's going?"

One of the creatures, a pretty big one, threw aside the limp body of a stormtrooper and went for the Inquisitor. Barely breaking stride, the Pau'an drew his lightsaber, which was a double-bladed one whose blades could rotate independently of its hilt along a disc-shaped emitter, and cut it down in mid-leap.

"Pathetically."

Kanan ignited his lightsaber, sky blue contrasting the blood-red of his foe's weapon.

"Well, if you want something done right."

With that, he charged and met the Inquisitor's blade with his own; the two met with a hiss, then separated. Kanan followed up with a flurry of attacks which were deflected, then quickly fell back on the defensive. The Inquisitor parried, twisted and lunged with the practiced gestures of a Makashi duelist; elegant, focused and precise. Kanan deflected and thrust with his Master's form, Soresu. Known as the Resilience Form, Soresu made up for its lack of offensive capabilities with its expert defense. A master of Form III, it was said, could simply withstand all attacks regardless of their strength and ferocity until their opponent yielded, slipped up or simply dropped from exhaustion. Kanan, however, was no master and the Inquisitor homed in on his weakness. Hoping to surprise the Inquisitor, if nothing else, Kanan drew his custom DL-18 blaster pistol from its holster and fired it. Instead of dropping to the floor with a smoking hole in his forehead, the Inquisitor dodged the shot and ripped the blaster out of Kanan's hand with the Force. Caught off-guard, Kanan was unprepared for the sudden Force push that followed up; he flew clean across the hangar and crashed into the wreckage of a gunship before sliding to the floor, unconscious. Ezra, who had been directing the fyrnocks for the duration of the fight, sensed his Master's plight and opened his eyes.

"Kanan!"

The Inquisitor stood over Kanan's prone form.

"Your meager training is nothing in the face of true power!"

Ezra, rushing to the rescue, spotted Kanan's lightsaber from where it had rolled out of its owner's limp hand and pulled it to his hand with the Force. Igniting it, he put himself between the Inquisitor and his Master.

"You're not going near him!"

Next second, Kanan's lightsaber had been torn from his grasp and into the Inquisitor's fingers.

"Oh, I believe I am."

Weaponless and frightened, Ezra backed away as the Inquisitor advanced on him, his own lightsaber in his right hand and Kanan's in his left. He dragged them both lazily along the ground, throwing up sparks that made him look even more demonic than ever.

"Your devotion to your master is admirable, but futile. It cannot save you; nothing can."

He reached out with the Force and Ezra found himself flying backwards like Kanan, only instead of slamming against a gunship, he ended up on the edge of a gloomy precipice. Attempting to remain brave, he snarled at the Pau'an as he approached.

"Get back!"

"Ah, yes, yes! Unleash your anger! Unleash your fear! I will teach you what your master could not."

"You have nothing to teach me!"

"The darkness is too powerful for you, orphan. It is swallowing you up, even now."

"No."

"Your master will die."

"No!"

"Your friends will die and everything you ever hoped for will be lost. This is the way the story ends."

"NO!"

And finally, the dam broke. All of Ezra's fears, upsets and angers rushed to the surface, clouding his mind. As Kanan groaned, regaining himself, he saw Ezra cornered by the Inquisitor. Then the boy's eyes opened and there was something in them, something alien that wasn't Ezra and even the Inquisitor sensed this. Gritting his teeth, the boy raised his arms and a wave of cold and darkness passed through the hangar, searching for something. From the depths of the chasm behind Ezra, something vast stirred and began to climb. The fyrnocks, picking off the remaining stormtroopers, suddenly squealed in terror and scattered into the shadows as a truly monstrous beast of their species climbed out of the pit to stand beside Ezra, whose eyes were still closed over with that unknown darkness. The Inquisitor, now looking genuinely wary, activated his double-blades as he backed away from it. Ezra, with his teeth bared, then pointed straight at him and the monstrous fyrnock let out a horrible noise somewhere between a screech and a roar, showing teeth and tusks that would have put a boar-wolf to shame, and charged. Ezra, overwhelmed, collapsed to the ground. Kanan, grabbing his blaster, quickly rushed to his student's side whilst the great beast kept the Inquisitor busy. He slashed at it with both lightsabers, but a chance blow from one of its massive claws knocked Kanan's out of his grip and it went clattering away. Kanan shook the boy, trying to wake him, and was gratified to see his eyes open to reveal their normal blue. Ezra shivered.

"Kanan? What happened? I feel so cold."

"I know. We're getting out of here!"

Hefting the boy over his shoulder, Kanan ran for the _Phantom_, summoning his lightsaber as he went past. The Inquisitor, trying to find a way past the huge fyrnock, spotted his escaping quarry and let out a strangled yell. The fyrnock lunged for him, but his lighsaber connected with its arm and it fell back with a screech. Capitalising on this, the Inquisitor yelled again and spun the blades at it. Not willing to go near the stinging light, it roared once then retreated back into its shadows. The Inquisitor, seeing the Jedi about to enter the _Phantom_, threw his spinning lightsaber at them but Kanan deflected it, sending it spinning away into the darkness. Inside the ship, Kanan set his confused Padawan on a seat and pushed the throttle forwards, away from the Inquisitor. Some of the troopers who had been smart enough to retreat outside made to block the shuttle's way or shoot it down, but wisely scattered as the _Phantom_'s twin forward laser cannons opened fire. Some of the blasts hit the _Sentinel _shuttle, which exploded. The _Phantom _then turned aside the wreckage and streaked off into space, already a speck by the time the Inquisitor emerged from the darkness, fuming almost as much as the remains of his shuttle. The red-pauldroned stormtrooper, one of the few survivors, ran up to him.

"My master will not be pleased."

LATER

The _Phantom_ had put a considerable distance between itself and the asteroid base, bypassing the waiting Star Destroyer before its startled commanders could even think of activating the tractor beam or deploying fighters. Setting it on autopilot, Kanan left the pilot's chair and sat down on a bucket seat opposite Ezra, who was hugging his knees close to himself. He looked worn and haggard.

"I saved us?"

"You did."

"But something doesn't feel right."

"If your will isn't strong enough when you open yourself to the Force, you become vulnerable to the dark side. That's what happened."

Ezra looked both surprised and indignant.

"But I was trying to save you!"

"You were, but your anger and fear caused that giant creature to attack."

"I don't remember it."

"That's for the best. But, your powers are growing so fast that you weren't prepared for it. I didn't teach you what you needed to know. Sorry."

They sat in silence for the next ten minutes, mulling over what they had seen and felt, until the _Phantom_ docked with the _Ghost_, which had returned to pick them up. They descended the ladder into the ship itself, where they found Sabine, Jai, Hera and Zeb waiting for them. Jai hugged his boyfriend as Hera descended on Kanan.

"You're back!"

"Was there any doubt?"

"A little. And I've got something to tell Ezra."

"Maybe later. He had a bit of a rough time."

"What happened?"

He guided her to one side.

"He saved me from the Inquisitor, but he tapped into the dark side to do it. He's not dangerous, but I'm worried about how susceptible he might be, especially now."

"But it's about his parents. Is now not the best time?"

"No. But there will be the right time to tell him. Just not now."

"But there is something else for him."

"What?"

She whispered it in his ear and he grinned.

Ezra, in the meantime, had detached himself from Jai and was heading for the nose gun, where he often liked to go when he was upset. The stars and their infinite mysteries were soothing. He heard someone come in behind him and knew it had to be Jai even before the boy's yellow-jacketed arms wrapped themselves around him.

"I don't want to talk about the asteroid, OK."

"I wasn't asking you to. You'll tell me when the time is right."

"Then why are you here?"

"There's something I want to show you."

Ezra wasn't really in the mood, but he felt that he'd rebuffed Jai enough times and so he dragged himself off the chair and followed his boyfriend's fit arse back to the common room. Once there, Jai stopped him at the door.

"What's going on here?"

"Wait and see."

Ezra saw something white on Jai's cheek and reached up to wipe it off.

"Why does your face have flour on it?"

Jai's face was impassive as he knocked on the door.

"You'll see."

When the door opened, Ezra's first impression of the room was that one of Sabine's paint bombs had gone off. The whole place was strewn with coloured banners, streamers and stars. In the middle of this colourful chaos, the crew (sans Ursa) were gathered around the small holotable which they used to play dejarik or HoloNet broadcasts, all of them wearing party hats (even Zeb and Chopper!).

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"

Ezra was too overwhelmed to speak, only a few choking noises came out. He was so dumbstruck he didn't even notice Jai slapping a hat on his head or resist as he was steered into a seat. When he finally found his voice, it was heavy with emotion.

"Y-You didn't need to do this!"

"Yes we did, sweetheart."

"You've had quite enough grief for today."

"They made me."

"And this is what we do. We're family."

"I'm sure I can overlook this, just once."

Ezra buried his face in Jai's chest to hide his tears; this had been the first time for a long time where his birthday hadn't made him want to bury his head in the sand and cry out of sadness. Now it was out of happiness and embarrassment. Hera, smiling, motioned to Chopper.

"Chopper, dim the lights."

"Mum, we're ready for you!"

As the lights dimmed, the door to the kitchen opened and Ursa came through them bearing a large cake in her arms, her smile lit up by fifteen candles flickering on the top. Sabine, her face jolly, got up and assumed a conductor's pose as Ursa placed the cake down in front of Ezra, who was goggling at it; he couldn't remember the last time he'd had a birthday cake. Sabine took a breath.

"All together now. One, two, three."

And as one, the group burst into song.

"_Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Ezra, happy birthday to you!_"

Ezra's face would have put a ripe strawberry to shame; however, he was genuinely happy and grateful. Ursa took out a knife and cut the cake into pieces for everyone. It was a classic recipe from Alderaan, with fresh cream and wild strawberry jam, and everyone enjoyed it very much.

"Sorry there are no presents, Ezra. In fact, it's a miracle we had everything we needed for the cake."

This made Sabine's head snap up.

"No, there is something. Remember that old holodisc I found in your home? Well, it was a bit degraded but I cleaned it up and look what I found."

She inserted the disc into the holotable and an image flickered into life above the cake. It showed three people; a rugged man in a yellow robe, a pretty woman in a violet outfit and, trying to piggyback his mother, a little boy of about four years with copper skin and bluish hair. It was, unmistakably, Ezra and his parents.

For a moment, they all stared at the image of the happy family, before it was torn apart by the cruel grip of the Empire. Jai held Ezra's hand as he felt his boyfriend tremble. Tears spilled down his cheeks, but they were of both sadness and joy. He could see that his parents had loved him, very much. He wiped his eyes and stared at Sabine.

"Thank you."

"Happy birthday, Ezra Bridger."

"The happiest in a long time."


	7. Chapter 7

LATER, ON LOTHAL

Having settled down in an isolated mountain range in the northern hemisphere, far from Capital City, the Ghost crew prepared to bed down for the night. After clearing up the remains of the party, Hera had ordered everyone off to bed. In their cabin, Ezra and Jai were getting undressed. Well, Jai was. Ezra lay in his underpants on his bunk still gazing at the hologram of him and his parents, while Jai stripped off his clothes and laid them out neatly. He then lay down next to Ezra, who in his reverie apparently failed to notice his boyfriend was naked. Jai snuggled against him.

"Feeling better, sweetheart?"

"Better than I have in years, Jai."

"I'm glad."

Ezra turned his head away from the hologram and pulled Jai into a kiss, running a hand down to caress his bare bottom. Jai giggled into the kiss and pulled Ezra's head closer to deepen it. The hologram shut off and the projector fell off Ezra's lap onto the floor, prompting him to break the kiss and jump out to get it. Ascertaining that it was fine, he proceeded to place it in the pocket of his trousers while Jai took the opportunity to ogle his boyfriend's arse, the white briefs contrasting magnificently with Ezra's copper skin. He wolf-whistled and Ezra preened.

"Like what you see, do you?"

"I do, I do indeed."

"Then prepare to see more."

Ezra hooked his fingers into his waistband, stretched it out as far as it would go, then teased it down to just above his cock. Seeing Jai almost drooling with lust, he decided to put an end to his suffering and let the white garments descend to his ankles, where they were carelessly kicked aside. Ezra ran his hands down his fit, nude body, titillating Jai as the poor boy watched. He then turned around and flexed his buttocks, waving them at Jai.

"How's that for a performance?"

Next second, the wind had been knocked out of him as Jai flew off the bed with inhuman speed and tackled him with such force they slammed against their locked bedroom door. Jai seized Ezra in a passionate kiss, causing the other boy to moan at his lover's eagerness and unexpected (but hot) aggressiveness. Ezra's hard cock was jammed between his stomach and the door and his face was turned over his left shoulder to make out. He felt Jai's erect length pressing insistently into his backside and he wiggled it slightly so that it began nudging his entrance. He pulled his lips away from Jai's and whispered to him.

"Put it in me."

Jai looked at him.

"Wouldn't that hurt?"

"Just a bit."

"But I don't want to hurt you! Why would you ask me to?"

"It's a good hurt, but the pain doesn't last long anyway."

"How would you know? Have you done it before?"

Ezra looked offended.

"No! I'm a complete and utter virgin back there!"

"Then how would you know?"

Ezra, still pinioned to the door, looked a bit guilty.

"I lived with these two boys on the streets of Capital City for a while when I was twelve. Nice boys, they were, about fifteen. One was called Andy and the other one was Sid. Anyway, they were gay and in love with each other and, if it's not too embarrassing, they were very open about it."

"Open as in...?"

"They loved having sex and they did it even when I was there. One day I came back from filching some supplies and found both of them stark naked and having wild sex."

"What? Right out in the open?"

"Yep. In an alleyway, in the marketplace, heck, one time even in the swimming pool."

"And nobody noticed?"

"I did. They did offer to let me join in, but I refused. They did give me some advice on how to do it, though."

Extricating himself from his position, Ezra walked over to his bunk and lay down on his stomach.

"First, need to loosen it up. It'll hurt a lot trying to get it in, but it'll be worse without preparation."

"And how to we do that?"

Ezra responded by grabbing Jai's hand and sticking his index finger in his mouth.

"Get it wet, then stick it in me."

"Oh, okay."

Jai pulled his finger out of Ezra's mouth and walked round to his rear. To help out, Ezra reached back and pulled his ass cheeks apart to reveal his tight hole. Jai slid his finger around the ring of muscle, teasing it just so. Then, inch by tentative inch, it went in. Ezra sharply inhaled as he felt his backdoor open and as it went in further, his teeth gritted and he gripped his pillow. Seeing this, Jai started to pull it out but Ezra stopped him.

"Don't! It only hurts a little. Add another one."

Jai obliged and his middle finger joined his index, eliciting another sharp intake of breath and a slight moan. He began to flex them, just a little, loosening his boyfriend. Then, the tip of his finger prodded what some would call a magic button, but what medical science calls the prostate. Instantly, Ezra arched his back and groaned loudly, prompting Jai to quickly seal his mouth with his free hand so no-one came running. When he pulled his hand away, Ezra panted a little.

"I don't know what you were doing back there, but you triggered something amazing!"

"Oh, thank goodness! For a moment there I thought I'd really hurt you!"

"Hurt me? It was great!"

"Well then, shall we move on?"

Ezra shot him a lewd grin.

"By all means."

He spread his legs apart as Jai knelt behind him, gripping his cock in one hand and holding Ezra open with the other. Very slowly, he edged forwards until the tip was pressing against Ezra's hole, then in one swift move he slid inside and buried himself up to the hilt, his pelvis pressing directly against Ezra's tailbone. Ezra, for his part, reacted as much as could be expected; his eyes popped nearly out of their sockets, his arms and legs shot out and his spine arched. He felt so wonderfully full, as though both a physical and emotional hole had been filled. He felt Jai's warm breath on his neck, imagined his eyes and nostrils flaring, and moaned when he heard his boyfriend's voice oddly deepened.

"You're so tight and warm, Ezra! I've never felt something like this before!"

"Wait till you get moving. Come on, fuck me!"

Jai responded by pulling out agonizingly slowly, driving Ezra mad with want. He began tightening himself around Jai as punishment and was gratified to hear him groan.

"Don't! You'll make me cum to soon."

"Then don't tease me."

Jai began to move, faster and faster until there was a light slapping noise each time his hips connected with Ezra's buttocks. Ezra raised and lowered his rear in time with Jai's thrusts, but after ten minutes he pushed Jai off him and made him lie down on his back. He then positioned himself over Jai's still hard cock and slid down it. Straddling Jai's hips, his legs spread wide and his cock bouncing up and down, Ezra grinned lewdly.

"My turn to do the work."

He began to bounce lightly, allowing Jai's length to invade every inch of him. When his prostate was hit, he angled his hips so as to maintain a constant assault on it, nearly fainting with pleasure. Jai grabbed his hips and drove his cock up into his boyfriend with renewed vigour, bringing them both closer to the brink. Getting an idea, he placed his hands underneath Ezra's warm ass and gripped them tightly before tipping his body over so that their positions were reversed. Ezra, now flat on his back with his splayed feet pressing against the top bunk, stared up at Jai in complete surprise.

"When did you get to be on top all of a sudden?"

"Shut up and take it!"

He began to thrust even harder, making Ezra grunt and moan. He ran his hands down Jai's back and their lips connected in passionate kisses, which Jai broke.

"I like this position best. I get to see your eyes roll into your head and your body completely at my mercy."

"Your mercy?"

Another squeeze around him and another moan from Jai.

"I think not."

Jai laughed before pushing him further up the bed so that he was almost bent double and resumed fucking him. Ezra's walls were breaking down and he was leaking pre-cum against Jai's stomach. Finally, after five more minutes, he groaned and thrashed around as his orgasm hit him like an avalanche. Jai let him ride it out, then resumed his previous pace of thrusting into his boyfriend's low limp body. Ezra, completely drained, watched him through half-closed eyes and with a goofy smile, his legs now crossed over Jai's back. After another few minutes, Jai threw his head back and moaned as he came powerfully into Ezra, who moaned as well at the warm feeling spreading inside him. Jai fell with a muffled thud onto Ezra, who hugged him close and kissed his sweaty hair. After catching their breath, both boys separated their sticky bodies and Ezra made for the door, holding his bum.

"Where are you going?"

"To take care of the little problem you left back here."

"Oh, right. But first, you might want to take this."

He threw a dressing gown at Ezra, who was blushing at having nearly walked out of his room stark naked. He returned a few minutes later, having divested himself of his problem and tossing the robe carelessly aside. Jai, who was already lying in bed waiting for him, yawned.

"Too tired. Pick it up in the morning."

Ezra slid under the duvet and pulled his boyfriend close, savouring the closeness of their bodies and missing just how close they'd been not long ago. Jai kissed his hand.

"I love you, Ezra."

"I love you, Jai. Thanks for giving me a great first time."

"You're welcome."

Then Jai was asleep, dead to the world, and Ezra soon followed.


End file.
